Safety danger signal for railroad tracks



Sept. 18, 1928.

G. F. BAKER SAFETY DANGER SIGNAL FOR RAILROAD TRACKS Filed Aug. 19, 1927 Patented Sept. 18, 1928.

UNITED STATES GEORGE 'FRANoIs BAKER, or CINCINNATI, emo.

SAFETY DANGER SIGNAL FOR RAILROA) TRACKS.

Application filed August 19, 1927. Serial No. 214 168 This invention relates to danger-signal dcvices for use in and along railroad-tracks and, inore particularly, to thespecial purpose of warning those advancing on the track, where worknien' are at work ahead, so. as to avoid danage or injury to either, and, initially, to the protection of said workinen.

The object ot' the specific improvement herein is to provide a convenient, light, strong and econonical means of supporting a signal device' at any suitable point where danger threatens ahea`d', the use named above, in

the railroad-track service, beingwell considi ered by me as one of the 'most fitting and desired. and intended to take the place of the make-Shift and heavy means heretofore employed in such service that has always denandedextrene caution in passing along a track where men are at work in isolated lo calities orwhere some other danger lurks or is present and ordinarily unknown to the trainin en and others employed in the runnine` of trains The details' of structure will be fully hereinafter described in connection with the accoinpanying sheet of drawings, in which Figure 1 is a transverse section of a rail- 'road track showing attached to one of its rails the danger-signal device einbodying my invention herein in its preferred form; Fig. 2, a fraginentary transverse section of track', showing inydeviee the same as in Fig. 1, 'but on a soinewhat larger scale, and with the swinging jaw-nienber of the clainp in dotted lines and thrown open for the release of the clanp froni the rail; Fig. 3, an outer-side elevation of the rail and clanp structure seen in' Fig. 2; Fig. 4,a fragnentary elevation of the signal or target portion of the improvement described herein and including an elevation of the grapple or tongs used in gripping the lantern when requiredg'Fig. 5, a detached elevat-ion of the said grapple or tongs, shown open ready for the insertion of the lanternbail;' Fig. 6, a vertical sectional elevation, taken on line 6, 6, of Fig. 4` but showing` the target in'full diameter; and Fig; 7, a' broken sectional plan, taken onthe'dotted-line x, m, p through Figs. 2 and 3, fiush with the tread of the rail.

It will be noted, (to the left in Fig. 2) that I have shown the slidable lock-ring' of the clan'p-nieinbers in plan,` side-elevat'ion and end-elevation, to bring out more clearly the detail structure of the said lockering.

!i indicates the ordinary cross-tie; B, the

ground; and C, C, the ordinary'pair of T- rails mounted on the said cross-tie in duly spacedrelation to form a railroad-track, as custoinary. i i

The clamping device for supporting a lantern D and a target-signal in said track, between the rails as isusually done I will now procced to dcscribe. i

A pair of vertical clanp-nenbers is coniposed of two coinciding platcs 7 and 8, pivotally connected together at F. The plate 7 has an upWardlyslanting arni 9 that extends (when in use) laterally half-way across the track for suspending the said lantern, topped by saidtargetsignal E in due central relation with the track, between its rails C, C, all as best shown in Fig. l, for ready and clear si ght in every direction, but especially up and down the track, and indicating that the track is in the course of repairs or other construction work going on and nen' and ni'a terial present several hundred feet,` niore or less ahead or backof the signal (in` both' directions up and down' the track) to Warn those approaehing in either direction of the -dang'er to theni and to Said worknen should Outline or contour with that ot the head c of i the rail and'adapted to close upon said head c and enconpass it n a. 'lirin .uanner when the signal devce hcrein 1S in position 'for use.

The outer jaw-forniation 10 of the p la'tc 7 is relat ively longer than the inner jawd'o rnation 11 of the plate 8, as best seen in Fig. 3, wherein the said shorter jaw-t'ornation 11 shown in vertical dotted linos, and, also, in Fig. 7, which is a sectional plan, taken on a line with the tread of the rail. The outer jaw-fornatiou 10 is made the longer of the two so to provide a better-holding' orgrippingpurchase on'the side and under the head of the' rail due to'the additional weight or burden of the signals and their carrying arni that extend inwardly halit-way across the track as above stated. Loiwer flan'ges 14 and 15, rcspectively, extend'downwardly 'froni the j aw-fornations 10 and 11 to embrace the upper part of the web c' of'the rail in a firm and substantial manner, and thereby prevent the clamp from slipping laterally or crosswise around the head of the rail, or esewhe re to suit the use ot the portable signal device herein described.

An elongated lock-ring 16 is slid downwardly over the two plates 7 and 8 to hold them together when the jaws are in embracing or clamped position on the rail-head. The said two plates are tapered, with their coinciding broad lower'ends terminating at the upper `ends of the said quarter-twisted parts 12 and 13, the latter forming stops for the said lock-ring 16 to rest on when in seated place on the upwardly-extending clampplatcs 7 and 8. i

i A vertical series of horizontallyelongated holes' or slots 17 is provided along one edge of the said assembled plates, to accommodate the loop 18 of a pad-lock 19 that is intended to prevent the said lock-ring being raised or moved from seated place on the closed clampplates 'and the device detached accidentally or surreptitiously otherwise from signaling position on the rail-head or wherever placed for danger-warning: use. The elongated holes are provided' to make due allowance 'tor `the clamping of ,the jaw-members on railheads or other supports of different dimensions or sizes and to make allowance tor greater or lesser spread of jaw-members the slot in the lock-ring and the taper of the platcs 7 and 8 being made to meet the greatest spread of said aw-members.

The target-signal E is mounted on the upturnecl outer end or terminal 20 of the target-arm 9 and,` in order that thelantern D may be detachably Secured at the said outer target-terminal of the arm 9, I provide a vertical bar or plate G that is attached at its npper end to the said upturned end 20 of the target-arm 9, with the lower part of the target intervening, all as best seen in Fig. 6. The lower end of said har G extends centrally below said target E and has an upturnedhook formation H for the lantern-hail to rest in and to form a stop or housing to prevent the said lantern-bail 'beconing accidentally dislodged. A vertical latch-bar 21 is pivotally-mounted at 22 on the face of the lower extension of har G and it has an L-shape jaw g at its lower end to register or partly coincide with the said hook H at the lower end of the stationary bar G. The upper end 23 of said` latch-bar 21 is elbowed or bent outwardly so as to pivotally accommodate one end of a stifi-wire pull-rod 24 that extends for pivotal-attachment at its opposite end to an elbowed or outwardly-bent arm 25 at the upper end of the vertical clamp-plate 8; as best seen in Figs. 3 and 6. When the latchbar 21 is inclosed positionon the lantern-bail that is seated or resting in the hook H of the bar G it is securely maintained or kept so by means of the locked elamp-plates 7 and 8, and the lani-'urn cannot be removed until the padlock 19 is released and the lock-ring slicl upwardly along the said clamp-plates till it reaches the topmost pointof its movement as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, at which time the jaw 11 and its pivotal carrying-plate 8 are shifted into the open position (also seen tern, the entire device being held in one hand e while the other hand is'used in raising the said lock-ring to its said topmost position until the jaw-'ormations readily spread fully open so as to clear the head of the rail and thenthe device, being especially light and` strong. can be handily moved elsewhere or shfted for further lke service or stowed away m small` eompass when out of active use.`

a The device is readily adapted to other signal purposes than that of the track-work one mentioned and mostly desiredpand it is always easily clamped into display position` on either rail or on any convenient object that is chosen ahead of the danger point, and allows i ampletime for safety to all those approachng said danger point and within its zone.

The 'target can bevaried at will to suit various signal purposes and the lantern can be dispensed with if desired. The targetarm 9 is preferably made of channeled metal' for both lightnesst and strength.

I claim 1. In a device of the character described,

the combination of a pair of tapered u`p-' right bars or plates having a series of aligning holes therein, clampingew formatons provided at the lower ends of said bars and adapted to be closed or spread apart by pivotal connecting-means at the upper ends of said'bars, a slidable lock-ringencompassing the said pair of assembled tapered 'bars or plates and asuitable lock adapted'to engage the said` aligning holes inthe assembled bars or plates for securing the latter in closed position together with the closed engagement of the said clamping-jew formations on the head of a track-rail or other supporting object where warning of danger ahead is to be displayed, substantially as shown and described;

,2. In a device of the character described,

the combination of a pair of eorresponding npright tapered bars or plates having a series of aligning holes therein and pivotally connected together at their upper ends,

damping-jaw formatons at the lower ends of said bars, a sldable encompassng lock- 'ng on the said bars 01' plates When in assembled position, a removable lock adapted to engage the said holes in the plates to suit the relative size of the object by Whch the devcc is to be supported 01' held in sgnalng position, a lateral a'n extendng from the uppe' end of one of said bars 01* plates, a target mounted on said arm, a latch devce pvotally mounted on said target-end of the arm and adapted to suspend a sgnal or Warnng lantern and a pull-rod extendng between the said latch devce and an uprght arm at the uppe' end of the conpanon bar or platc of the clamping means and adapted to connect the aw nenbers and the latch devce sothat they shall act in unson When the devce s to be positioned for sgnal use 01' removed 'from using place, substantally as shown and described.

In tcst'mony whereof I have hercunto affixed my sgnature.

GEORGE FRANCIS BAKER. 

